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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — of water
  5. track — a song
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. track — to keep track
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. last — final
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. track — a path
  17. last — finally
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. spring — the season
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kick — in football
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. last — to go on
  24. spring — a coil

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com